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Closing the Carbon Cycle for Sustainability A Key Strategy for Environmental Protection, Energy Security, and Economic Development Peter Eisenberger Columbia University & Global Thermostat OXFORD University October

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THE CHALLENGES WE FACE MEETING BASIC NEEDS+ OF 9 BILLION PEOPLE – ENERGY SECURITY LOCALLY PRODUCED GLOBALLY AVAILABLE 5-10X SUPPLY SUSTAINABLE – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVERCOME DEVELOPED/DEVELOPING COUNTRY DIVIDE ELIMINATE POVERTY – CLIMATE CHANGE PROTECTION CLOSE THE CARBON CYCLE FLEXIBILITY TO ADJUST ATMOSPHERIC CONCENTRATION CLOSING THE CARBON CYCLE IS NEEDED AND CO2 FROM AIR IS PART OF IT

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4Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL

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OBSERVATIONS CARBON CYCLE NOT CLOSED – OCEAN SEQUESTERING CO2- ABOUT 1% – CHANGES SIGN WITH TIME ESSENTIAL TO HAVE LONG TERM STABILITY HUMAN CONTRIBUTION – ONLY 3% OF CO2 FLUX – UNIDIRECTIONAL NO LONG TERM STABILITY PHOTOSYNTHESIS 1-3 % EFFICIENT SOLAR ENERGY – FITNESS - RESILIENCE NOT EFFICIENCY HUMAN DESIGNED SOLAR – MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE RESILIENT – COST

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Current Approaches to Manage Our Carbon “Wedges” approach a good start… –Sensible, diversified strategy based on existing pathways –Portfolio of renewable energy and efficiency technologies –Potential to keep CO 2 below 500ppm (still 2x pre-indust. level) But may not be enough to avoid climate change… –Depends on continued net natural absorption rate –Does not address 2000’s already elevated emissions –Underestimates projected growth rate by factor of two –No solution past 2055 Climate will change destructively on its own –Earth history has many climate disasters –New York City under a 1 mile high ice sheet A safe, effective, and affordable solution to climate change is still urgently needed 6 Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL

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A Sustainable Solution ENERGY SECURITY FOR ALL ̶ CO2 FROM AIR AND HYDROGEN FROM WATER ̶ PRODUCTION AND CONVERSION TO FUEL POWERED BY THE SUN ̶ INPUTS MORE EQUABLY DISTRIBUTED- CONTROL HUMAN CO2 INPUT TO CARBON CYCLE ̶ TEMPERATURE CONTROL ̶ VARY STORAGE AND RECYCLE GREEN ENERGY FUND STIMULATES ECONOMIC GROWTH ̶ STIMULATES TRANSITION TO CLOSING THE CARBON CYCLE ̶ MONETIZE THE CO2 SO IT IS A VALUABLE AND NOT A POLLUTANT 12 Global Thermostat - CONFIDENTIAL Close the carbon cycle –CO2 from air to make the energy we need-

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OUR CARBON BASED SPECIES CAN CLOSE THE CARBON CYCLE A BI-DIRECTIONAL CARBON BASED ENERGY PROCESS – ENERGY SOURCE INPUT CO2 FROM THE AIR AND HYDROGEN FROM WATER PRODUCED USING SOLAR ENERGY RELEASING CO2 AND WATER WHEN COMBUSTED TWO PROCESSES – BIOMEMETIC/ ALGAE + SOLAR+ CO2 FROM AIR – INDUSTRIAL/ ELECTROLSIS +SOLAR + CO2 FROM AIR

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CO2 FROM AIR ELECTROLYSIS :HYDROGEN FROM WATER The Production of Methanol is a Proven Technology CO2+3H2 TO CH3OH +H20 – The above reaction is exothermic, DH298= kJ/mol – This reaction is faster than conventional methanol processes that use synthesis gas (CO + H2) COCCCO2CO 2 + co2+3H23H 2

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Extracts heat 50% faster than with water- based geothermal Does not require pumps or pumping Can generate power with conventional technology (e.g., turbines) Can store energy – Ideal for energy storage (e.g., less than 2-minute response time) – No separate storage technology required Provides grid management capability – Baseload, firming or peaking power – “Firms up” wind or solar power Produces carbon-negative power MAKE GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICITY FROM CO2 FROM AIR

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THE SOCIAL COST IS MUCH GREATER THAN THE PRIVATE COSTS MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research “The true social cost is almost three times the amount that appears on our utility bills.” International Centre for Technology Assessment. ” Such external costs push the true price of gasoline as high as $15.14 a gallon”

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THE SOLUTION YES THERE IS A SILVER BULLET WE KNOW HOW TO GET HYDROGEN FROM WATER WE KNOW HOW TO GET CO2 FROM THE AIR WE HAVE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLAR EFFCIENCY – 5X NATURE -10X ACHIEVABLE THE CLOSING THE CARBON CYCLE “COST” – “COST” =COST OF TECHNOLGY – AVOIDED EXTERNAL COSTS OF TODAYS APPOACH + NEW EXTERNAL COSTS – NEW EXTERNAL COSTS VERY LOW NO POLLUTION –FUEL IS CLEAN NO COSTS FROM POOR DISTRIBUTION OF INPUTS NO COSTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS CAN COST $6.50/GAL AND STILL BE ECONOMIC – PROVIDE $3.00/GAL REBATE TO CONSUMERS ( – LESS “COST” THEN FOSSIL ENERGY “SOCIAL COSTS” OF 10.00/GAL

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Global ThermostatCompany ConfidentialPage 31 Monolith Durability Test Stability Run – 400, 30 minute adsorptions followed by four minutes of CO2 removal by steam stripping Equation in the upper right fits the CO2 working capacity data: CO2 removed each cycle-x is the number of the run The small and positive coefficient means the results are essentially unchanged, e.g., stable performance